IVORY COAST: South African ship complicates political crisis
On February 8, the president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) criticized South Africa for deploying a naval vessel to Ivory Coast as a "negotiating venue" for the ongoing political crisis.  South Africa did not consult with ECOWAS before dispatching the vessel, which ECOWAS feels complicates efforts to resolve the political impasse peacefully.  Comment: The rift between West African states over South Africa's actions demonstrates the difficulties which can develop when a diverse group of nations work as a united governing body.  A recent International Crisis Group report explains the ECOWAS nations have fractured into three groups: pro-Gbagbo, anti-Gbagbo, and neutral.  The post-election crisis began after incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of the presidential election.  (Reuters, Vanguard, AP)

SOMALIA: Pirates hijack Italian and U.S.-bound ships
On Wednesday, suspected Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean seized a U.S.-bound ship transporting $200 million worth of oil, accounting for 20 percent of total daily U.S. oil imports.  The hijacking occurred one day after pirates used guns and rocket-propelled grenades to capture an Italian tanker carrying $60 million worth of oil.  Currently, there is no communication with either vessel, each of which has more than 20 crew members on board.  Joe Angelo, managing director of Intertanko, argues that the hijacking of these large tankers is "a significant shift in the impact of the piracy crisis in the Indian Ocean...and if it is left unabated, it will strangle these crucial shipping lanes with the potential to severely disrupt oil flows to the U.S. and to the rest of the world."  Comment: The current crisis is reinforcing industry fears that piracy is expanding uncontrollably. Although there have been efforts to reduce the attacks, navies continue to struggle to combat piracy in the vast Indian Ocean; however, if piracy continues to significantly disrupt oil flows, governments may intensify anti-piracy efforts.  (Reuters, Aljazeera, AFP) 

SUDAN: South Sudan minister shot dead
On February 9 at approximately 1045hrs local time, South Sudan Minister of Cooperatives and Rural Development Jimmy Lemi Milla's personal driver broke into the Minister's office 200 meters from the president's office and killed him and his bodyguard.  The gunman, also Milla's brother in-law, was arrested, and his motives appear to be personal rather than political.  The assassination occurred two days after official figures revealed that 98.83 percent of Southern Sudanese voters chose to secede from Sudan.  After the results, President Obama and President al-Bashir declared their intentions to recognize and cooperate with Southern Sudan; the U.S. has begun the process of removing Sudan from its terrorism sponsor list.  Comment: Despite the apolitical nature of the attack, such actions could call into question the stability and security of a newly independent southern Sudan among the international community.  (Sudan Tribune, Aljazeera, Reuters)